Swab taken from woman's private parts; lab technician held

In a shocking incident, a government hospital’s lab technician has been arrested for molestation and rape after he took swab from a woman's private parts for conducting a Covid-19 test in Amravati district of Vidarbha region.

The incident took place on Tuesday in Badnera in Amravati district, reports reaching here said.

The accused, Alpesh Deshmukh (30), has been arrested and placed under arrest on Thursday.

He has been remanded to police custody till Friday and further investigations were in progress.

“The accused will not be spared,” said state Woman and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur, who is also the Guardian Minister of Amravati district.

The incident took place when the 23-year-old victim had gone for a Covid test at the Trauma Care Testing Lab in the Badnera government hospital, according to Inspector Punjab Wanjari, the investigating officer of the case.

The girl, a shopping complex employee, has gone for the mandatory test as a colleague had tested Covid-19 positive. She and 20 other colleagues reported to the lab for testing.

After the test, the lab technician, called up the complainant to inform her that the Covid-19 test was positive and she was required to undergo another urinal test.

"On reaching there, the accused took swabs from her private parts,” police said.

Later she narrated the sequence of events to her brother, and they reported the matter to the police.

The accused has been booked under section 354 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code.

Strongly condemning the incident, Bhumata Ranragini Brigade President Trupti Desai said besides the first women President, Amravati district has a woman minister and Guardian Minister, a woman MP Navneet Kaur-Rana, which made it all the more shocking, and wondered what will be situation elsewhere.

“This is a sheer assault on the dignity of a woman,” said Desai, a prominent women activist.